Mom
My Mom was a key figure through my youth as she constantly pushed me to grow and tested the limits of my ability. She used to task me with all kinds of maths, science, English and educational quizzes every spare moment I had. My smart-aleck retorts would sometimes irritate her but she was a strict disciplinarian and she beat a habit of hard-work and humility into me. Her old school values of respect for elders, perseverance, self-reliance, doing your best, discipline, house-work and putting family and others before oneself are priceless lessons that have carried me very far in my life’s journey. I’m forever grateful for that and I’m really glad we’re now able to be open and unrestrained in our expressions of love and long talks over the phone.
My grandmothers despite all my mischief showered me with much love and I’m blessed to have many beautiful memories of them and to remember what it feels like to be held in their embrace.
My literature teacher from SJI pushed me towards the performing arts and I’m thankful for her suggestion that I audition for Youth Theatre Singapore when I was 15. It was there that I met my best friend and soul mate and it is through theatre that I discovered my love for the stage and dance. Theatre and dance particularly has been a life changing experience. Those years of training, performing, teaching and creating are so important in shaping what I’ve learnt through life and have enabled me to do my current work to the level I am able to. I would be a lesser person if I hadn’t gone through YTS, STARS, the SAF Music & Drama Company, Beauty World, Boom Boom Room, Singapore Ballet Academy, Singapore Dance Theatre, Wild Rice and Dream Academy and had just pursued a more conventional career path.
In my second year in advertising, it was the Design Director of the Integrated Design team at Saatchi & Saatchi whom I have to thank for my quick rise in the industry. Claire Parker saw potential in me that I didn’t know I had and fought for me to be promoted from an Account Executive to Senior Account Manager. She actually was pushing for Account Director given that I had take on most of the responsibilities of the AD who had resigned but internal disapproval meant that I needed to serve a few more years to be a director. I never got a chance to thank her and it was only years later that I realised how big a vote of confidence and how unusual a promotion all that was. Thank you very much Claire for believing in me. Hope you’re proud of where I am now.
The above are just a few of the women who’ve touched my life in special and ever-changing ways.
There also those that have a unique place in my life given the bonds of closeness we share, like Andrina, the first person I came out to, Emma Mayhew, my close girlfriend I love talking and partying with and Serene Chen Hui Ling, who’s daughter Ella was one of first babies I carried willingly. And then there were the many stewardesses in SIA who guided me and taught me many galley and passenger tricks as well as the best places to shop and eat.
It’s all these women who have such wonderful hearts so willing to share and nurture that have moulded how I want to share and give back to people and society.
Women are such important pillars in all our lifes.
Here’s to all of you to say thank you for everything and for being there.
